Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Buy Photo

Brian VanSickle knocks icicles off his home near downtown Evansville on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Last night's storm left over 65,000 people without power and left many others struggling to dig out from under the ice and snow. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

A Vanderburgh County Highway Department truck is loaded with a salt mixture in preparation for the forecasted ice/snow storm due to hit the area Monday. A plow used to clear the snow and the salt mixture is spread out behind the truck in the shallow snow. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

Marguerite "Peg" Nolan, 91, covers up with a blanket as she and others wait out the winter storm at the shelter set up at the Salvation Army Thursday afternoon, January 29, 2009. DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

Icicles hang off an old pair of boots that were thrown over an icy power line on Cherry Street in downtown Evansville on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Last night's storm left over 65,000 people without power and left many others struggling to dig out from under the ice and snow. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Sam Hocking, left and Corey Krueger, right, with Great Lakes Line Builders Inc., out of Greenville Wis., help Vectren, work to replace damaged poles, transformers and power lines on Audubon Drive and Newburgh Road on the east side of Evansville on Monday. The crew came to Evansville Wednesday night to help Vectren begin to restore power to the thousands of residents who lost power due to the storm. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Brine is applied to Peerless Road on Evansville's West Side in neat rows by Vanderburgh County Highway Department workers John Elderbrook and Randy Mangold earlier this month. The brine mixture dries and adheres to the pavement as a preventative measure against ice and snow. The brine works up to a certain point, but then the snow plows with a salt mixture take up the fight. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

This week's winter storm added several inches of snow atop ice that fell overnight Tuesday. Some were worried about cleaning up the mess, others were concentrating on having some fun away from school. Jeff Hale, 13, of Newburgh, puts on his snow-coverd-hat after completing a run while sledding with friends down a hill along Stae Route 662 near Grimm Road in Newburgh Wednesday after Tuesday's Winter storm. JASON CLARK / Courier & Press

Firefighers with the Evansville Fire Department Hose House 1 respond to a home at 501 S. Bedford in Evansville where the roof had collapsed with the residents inside Tuesday afternoon. Snow and ice are thought to have been the reason for the collapse. No one was injured in the incident. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

Ray and Evelyn Orth of 944 W. Boonville-New Harmony Road are helped to an awaiting ambulance by rescue personnel and were later transported to the hospital as a precaution Thursday afternoon. Their home caught fire when a candle they were using for light in their basement apparently fell from a shelf. They had been without electricity since Wednesday. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

Residents bundle up beneath quilts and blankets to stay warm after dinner at the Historic Rathbone Retirement Community Thursday evening. Most of the residents decided to stay at the facility instead of going home with family members, but without electricity, the seniors are having a rough go of it... especially since they're used to living in 80-degree temperatures. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

Grass along Vann Road in Warrick County bows under the weight of the ice and snow that accumulated on its two-foot long stalks Wednesday morning. The ice was nearly 1 inch thick around the grass. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

Brent Evans examines the collapse of the Wabash Production Oil Company building on Petroleum Blvd. in Fairfield Wednesday morning. Nine inches of snow and about two inches of ice brought the building down overnight Tuesday. LEN WELLS / Courier & Press

The bridge across Little Pigeon Creek in Warrick County in Yankeetown, Ind., offered a place for a dog and his buddy to romp through the snow Wednesday afternoon. The bridge was built by Wrought Iron Bridge Co. out of Canton, Ohio, has been spanning the creek for many decades. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

It feels colder than the 28 degrees as Mike Ellis puts the finishing touches on the new sign for Popham Construction late Tuesday afternoon. Popham recently relocated to 4400 Covert Avenue and Ellis, who works for Alvey Signs, installed the sign that has a time and temperature feature. Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press

Volunteer firefighters from McCutchanville, German Township, Knight Township and Scott Township respond to the blaze at the home of Ray and Evelyn Orth of 944 W. Boonville-New Harmony Road on the North Side of Evansville Thursday morning. It wasn't long before the firefighters were given the order to evacuate when the main floor burned through creating a hazardous condition for fighting the fire. They continued to put water on the blaze through the windows to eventually extinguish the fire. "This is tough," Scott Township District Chief Tom Fritz said, "especially in this kind of weather. We got hit hard." Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

James and Mary Walters, right, patiently wait out the winter storm at a shelter set up at the Salvation Army Thursday afternoon, January 29, 2009. The couple, who just moved out past Smith Mills, said they knew it was time to leave when their blankets started to stiffen up. Those seeking shelter from the cold and loss of electricity can expect to get 3 hot meals a day and a warm place to stay and sleep. DARRIN PHEGLEY/ The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

Dan Hartz, of Evansville, shovels his driveway after a plow cleared his street on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Hartz planned on working from home and hoped to spend a little time in his hot tub after shoveling. Last night's storm left over 65,000 people without power and left many others struggling to dig out from under the ice and snow. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Gov. Steve Beshear, left and County Judge Executive Sandy Watkins, right, head into the Henderson County courthouse for Beshear to give a report about how the state is responding to the miriad of problems the weather has caused Thursday afternoon, January 29, 2009. Beshear flew by army helicopter to Henderson where he was escorted into town by Humvee trucks. DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

John Williams and his dog, Sophie, survey the damage along 1st St. in downtown Evansville on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Williams lost his power this morning and planned on keeping warm by his fireplace. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Volunteer firefighters from McCutchanville, German Township, Knight Township and Scott Township respond to the blaze at the home of Ray and Evelyn Orth of 944 W. Boonville-New Harmony Road on the North Side of Evansville Thursday morning. The first fire plug was a "dry plug" and firefighters were forced to use another one further down the road to fight the fire. It wasn't long before the firefighters were given the order to evacuate when the main floor burned through creating a hazardous condition for fighting the fire. They continued to put water on the blaze through the windows to eventually extinguish the fire. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

Harold Lee Stuckey, heavy equipment operator for the Vanderburgh County Highway Department, had a close call early Wednesday morning. While clearing heavy tree debris, a large tree limb crashed into the cab of Stuckey's Gradall, missing him by eight feet. I asked Stuckey what would have happened if he'd been hit, and he replied, "Dead." Stuckey knows a little bit about danger. He says one of his legs was cut off on the job a few years ago, but it's OK. "They put it back on," he said. Jason Clark / Courier & Press, The Evansville Courier & Press

Susan McKinley, 20, center, helps build an igloo with friends from left, Stephanie Sullivan, 21, Gretchen Otness, 21, Alyssa Padilla 18, Stephanie Bigelow, 19, and Erin Copeland, 18, in front of North Hall at the University of Evansville on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Last night's storm left over 70,000 people without power and left many others struggling to dig out from under the ice and snow. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

The walls of a Mid-States Oilfield Salvage building on Petroleum Blvd. in Fairfield bulge outward after the roof collapsed sometime Wednesday morning under the weight of nine inches of snow and two inches of ice. Len Wells / Courier & Press

Jon Baker uses a snow-blower to clean a driveway for a neighbor along State Route 662 in Newburgh after this week's winter storm added several inches of snow atop ice that fell overnight Tuesday. JASON CLARK / Courier & Press

Residents of the Historic Rathbone Retirement Community in Evansville eat their dinners with plastic utensils and styrofoam trays by the light of a lantern Thursday evening. The facility lost power at about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday when a tree fell on their transformer. Denny Simmons / Courier & Press, Courier & Press

This week's winter storm added several inches of snow atop ice that fell overnight Tuesday. Some were worried about cleaning up the mess, others were concentrating on having some fun away from school. Sledders enjoying the day from left, Mason Richard, 10, Patience Parham, 12, and Mason's mother Christie Coomes fly down a hill along Stae Route 662 near Grimm Road in Newburgh Wednesday. JASON CLARK / Courier & Press

A snapped utility pole hangs by power lines along Main Street in Madisonville, Ky., as a result of last week's ice storm. Some power has been restored to residents but many businesses and homes are still without power and could be days or weeks before service is restored. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Ducks and geese crowd into the open water of Garvin Park late Monday afternoon where the ice covered lake still has a cover from the over night snow. There is a chance of flurries early this morning to give the lake a fresh coat and the high is to be in the 20’s. Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press

Marshall Lile loads more wood into his fireplace while anticipating the loss of power to his Mobile home in the Twin Lakes Mobile Home Park in Evansville Monday. Power was finally restored to his residence on Tuesday after providing a warm place to stay for other residents in his neighborhood last week. Jason Clark / Courier & Press, The Evansville Courier & Press

Jennifer Blake, left, pulls frozen food out of the freezers at Floyd's Super Market in Uniontown, Ky., as she and Devon Alvis, right, take inventory of what they're throwing away after the power outage last week caused the frozen section to go bad Monday afternoon February 2, 2009. The store moved much of its refrigerated items to theior store in Morganfield but could not get the frozen items out in time. DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

Xander Stone, 3, peers out from an igloo as he prepares to throw a snowball at his cousin, Shelby Schultz, 13, not pictured, after the pair worked on expanding the igloo at their grandmother's home in Evansville on Friday, January 30, 2009. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Tony Wright, an apprentice lineman for Campbell Electric Inc., of Indian River, Mi., takes care of a downed power line in downtown Evansville on January 29, 2009. Many crews from out of state were on hand to help restore power to the area. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Everett Warfield,19, left, and Jordan Cravens, 14, right, see who can jump the highest as they attempt to do tricks on their snowboard while playing in the ice snow mixture at Washington Middle School on Tuesday afternoon. Warfield who attends Ivy Tech Community college and Cravens, who attends Bosse High School were enjoying the day off from school. The boys made due with out any hills to snowboard down by using their boards more like skateboards along the ice. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

From left, Ron Tucker, Jeff Bumpus, R.L. Bumpus, James Tucker, Jason Watson and Jacky Ray Wilson are seen at the Red Cross shelter, set up in Wolf's Convention Center in Henderson,Ky. as they newspapers and watch a basketball game on Saturday Jan. 31, 2009. Mike Lawrence / The Gleaner, AP

Tina Vest and her 12-year-old daughter Ally of Evansville, examine a map of their designated target area as they joined other volunteers at the American Red Cross of Southwestern Indiana Friday. Volunteers donated their time and energy going door-to-door for the Neighbors to Neighbors program to help residents still dealing with power issues associated with this week’s winter storm in Evansville. Jason Clark / Courier & Press, The Evansville Courier & Press

Tina Vest provides information to Mike Groves of Evansville while volunteering along with her family for the American Red Cross of Southwestern Indiana Friday. Volunteers donated their time and energy going door-to-door for the Neighbors to Neighbors program to help residents still dealing with power issues associated with this week’s winter storm in Evansville. Groves’ power was restored as the Vest family made their visit. Jason Clark / Courier & Press, The Evansville Courier & Press

Joshua Scott cuts down branches for a client along Walnut St. in Evansville on Saturday, January 31, 2009. Scott and other workers for B & T Tree Service and Scotts Tree Service in Evansville have been working since before dawn to clear branches away from powerlines. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

A storm dropped more than three inches of ice and snow in Evansville, incasing trees and cars in a thick layers of ice. School corporations and businesses were closed around the Tri-State and many people who did not need to be on the roads stayed inside. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Dwight Watkins chips away at the ice on his wife's car Tuesday morning as he attempts to clean the car off so she could go to the store to get a few more groceries before the storm dumped more ice and snow on the region. It took Watkins over 30 minutes to chip away the ice from all the windows as his wife watched out the house window. " I will probably get it all chipped off and then it will ice again later today and I will be back at it tomorrow," Watckins laughed. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Jordan Cravens, 14, right, clings to his friend Zach Brown, 15, left, as he loses his balance while Brown tried to pull his Cravens on his snowboard along a patch of ice at Washington Middle School on Tuesday afternoon. The boys, both Bosse High School students did not let the sleet stop them from having some fun on their day off. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Matthew Greer with B & T Tree Service and Scotts Tree Service in Evansville hauls frozen branches away from the door at a home on Spring St. in Evansville on Saturday, January 31, 2009. Much of the clean up effort is focused on clearing paths to homes and getting branches off powerlines. Wood chipping and disposal of the branches will happen later. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Edward Ogurek sits in the Red Cross Shelter on Wednesday afternoon after he lost power in his condominium. Ogurek was not thrilled to have to be in a shelter, but it was warmer than his home. He has a number of health problems and was hoping a friend who still has power would take him in for the evening. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Tyanna Laster makers her way around a tree that is blocking Washington Avenue between US 41 and Kentucky Avenue Wednesday. Felled trees and limbs blocked many Evansville Streets and knocked out power around the city after the overnight ice and snow storm. Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press

Shelby Schultz, 13, builds chairs to go with her snow table in front of an igloo she built with the help of her grandmother, Jill Sandefur, and her cousin, Xander Stone, both not pictured, at Sandefur's Evansville home on Friday, Janaury 30, 2009. The fort took two days to build. It has a window framed with ice, a doorbell, and a place for mail. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Beverley Hartsook works a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle while staying warm at the emergency shelter set up at the Turner Building in Uniontown, Ky. Monday afternoon, February 2, 2009. All of Uniontown is still without power. Ricky Milliken, deputy director of the Union County Emergency Management, said they are averaging 75-120 people a night at the shelter, which is powered by generators. They shelter has been in operation since last Wednesday. DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

Robert Boxly, left, and Harry Bullington are part of a Halter Tree Service crew working for Vectren clearing power lines of broken limbs and removing branches posed to fall Wednesday along Vann Avenue. The crews were working ahead of Vectren crews trying to restore power. Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press

Evansville fire fighters work a fire at 709 wall street for the second time Wednesday. The residents were not home for the second fire after having fled the home during the first early morning fire. Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press

Daphne Morgan, center, and her son Bradley Morgan of Nebo, Ky., fill up two gas cans with gasoline for their generators at Wicks Well Market in Madisonville, Ky., on Tuesday afternoon. The Morgans have been without power for a week and have been told it could be another three or four weeks before their power is restored. The family is living in two rooms of their house and using a generator to power the Refrigerator and some lights. The family has a kerosine heater which it is using to keep the house warm. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Kristi Brandt, 13, and Jennifer Brandt, 9, get comfortable under a table at the Red Cross Shelter on Wednesday afternoon. The two sisters were at the shelter with friends because they lost power at their house and their mother was called into work. The friends they were staying with lost power this morning and they all decided it was too cold to stay in the house. They were glad to have a warm place to hang out. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Logan Elfreich, stands in the dark in the chip isle of the Westside Schnucks, picking out snack for him and his girlfriend, Natalie Baehl, as they pick out snacks to take back to their apartment without power on Wednesday afternoon. The Westside Schnucks had no power but the generators were able to power the cash registers and some of the freezer and refrigeration systems. The store stayed open for customers to buy necessities and people who were out of power were coming in to stock up on groceries. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Utility workers with C.C, Power from Kalkaska, Mich., climb lattice towers in Free Union between Dixon And Clay in Webster County to replace a static line, that provides protection from lightning strikes. Thousands of area residents are still without power eleven days since the crippling ice storm. Mike Lawrence / The Gleaner, Mike Lawrence

Kristen McIntosh, 7, eats snow from the fort her step-father was making in the snow in front of their apartment at Devonshire Gardens on Wednesday afternoon. McIntosh was to little to remember the last real snow so this was her first chance to enjoy it, but she was more interested in eating it than helping build the fort. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

“ I feel like I am homeless but I am not,” Klingman said. She has an apartment but it lost power Monday night and got very cold.
“The Shelter has been wonderful, Its warm , the people are very friendly and I have gotten plenty of food to eat,but I have been in the same clothes for days,” she said.
She said, the people (staying at the shelter) have been great, we have really pulled together in this time of crisis and have made the best of it. ERIN MCCRACKEN / Courier & Press, The Evansville Courier & Press

Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel talks with Joy and Lloyd Clements who are staying at the Red Cross Shelter on Stockwell Road after their house has been without power following the snow and ice storm earlier this week. Weinzapfel and Commissioner Troy Tornatta took a tour of the facility Sunday greeting residents of the shelter and thanking the numerous volunteers who have helped with the Red Cross' relief efforts this week. About 65 people remain in the Evansville Shelter Sunday. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

John Wayne Thompson, left, gets change from Devon Alvis, right, at Floyd's Super Market in Uniontown, Kentucky Monday afternoon, February 2, 2009. The store has remained open despite loosing power from the ice strom last week. They have lost their stock of frozen & refrigerated food so snack food and staple items have been popular sellers. DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

Students walk to class passed the Olmsted Administration Hall on The University of Evansville campus on Wednesday. The University of Evansville announced yesterday they will offer incoming freshman students of Vanderburgh County a $18,000 a year scholarship which will be comparable to that of Indiana's four-year state universities. Student who receive this scholarship will have to live in university housing, do at least 10 hours of community service each semester
and maintain a cumulative 2.5 grade point average. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

"It's a mess down here. It's like a war zone," said Chris Sallee, who trims downed trees at his father-in-law's home in downtown Evansville on Monday, February 2, 2009. Sallee was cutting down the smaller limbs and planned on leaving the larger limbs for a professional tree trimming crew. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

Peyton Millikan, 4, right, and Taylor Coomes, 7, left, enjoy a playful time while waiting out the electrical outage in Uniontown, Ky. Monday afternoon, February 2, 2009. Although more and more western Kentucky residents are enjoying their electricity returning every day, Uniontown remains without power. DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley

Jerald Harner, right, gets some help from his fiance Gwen Briner, as they clean snow and ice out of the bed of his pickup truck at their home on Jefferson Avenue in Evansville Monday. The couple went more than three days without power and heat. “We just wrapped-up in Blankets, and used body-heat,” Said Harner. Jason Clark / Courier & Press, The Evansville Courier & Press

Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve Director of Operations Susan Haislip makes her way through fallen limbs covering a preserve boardwalk Friday. While none of the oldest of trees suffered heavy damage the trails are often in passable due to fallen limbs from the recent ice storm. Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press

A snapped utility pole hangs on power lines on U.S. Alternate 41 outside of Nebo, Ky., on Tuesday. The pole was damaged in last week's ice storm and has caused residents to be without power for a week. Kentucky Utilities have told some residents that it could be up to four weeks until power is restored to them. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Carl Howell, center, and Daniel Howell, right, cut up a big piece of an Oak tree that fell during the storm from a tree at Lincoln Ave and Alvord Blvd. on Wednesday afternoon. The Howells both have wood burning stoves and saw the down tree, which would make for excellent wood. The Howells thought it could be a while until the city gets around to chopping up the large tree so they figured they would do the labor and cut up the wood, which they could use in their stove. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Frank Wright, Deputy Director of the Hopkins County Emergency Services sits in the dark and takes phone calls from members of the community as Sgt. Brad Harlin with the Indiana National Guard tries to coordinate first responders in Madisonville, Ky.. Wright and other employees with the Hopkins County Emergency Services have been working around the clock since last week trying to help members of the community following last weeks ice storm. Hopkins County EMS is running phone lines and a computer off of a generator but the facility like many others in the county remains without power. ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Greg Diaz, left, and Robert Delcorno (cq), right, remove an electrical line from one utility pole as the two from ComEd electrical company in Chicago work on Old Henderson Road near the Dogtown Tavern on Wednesday afternoon. After removing the old line, the two placed the repaired line on a new pole that the crew had installed. The ComEd crew, which came to the area to help out following last week's ice storm, thought they would be heading back home today. Kevin Swank / Courier & Press

Mike McCoy of Randy's Tree Service adds branches to a chipper outside of the River City Co-Op on Thursday, February 5, 2009. McCoy and a crew of others spent the day cutting down a tree and taking care of the storm-related debris. Molly Bartels / Courier & Press

One of the worst weather calamities this area has ever seen plowed through Evansville and Western Kentucky, spewing 5 inches of snow and 1.25 inches of ice that cocooned power lines, obliterated tree limbs and transformed streets into impassable nightmares.

Across the area, at least 700,000 people lost power. Some, especially in Kentucky, lived in the dark and cold for weeks. The storm killed at least 35 people across the Midwest and did millions of dollars in damage.

On Jan. 27, it will officially be a decade since the storm. Here’s hoping we don’t see anything like it for another 100.

The build up

Buy Photo

People wait in long lines all around town, as in this case waiting for kerosene at the E-Z Shop on 41, Wednesday afternoon, January 28, 2009. (Photo: DARRIN PHEGLEY / The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley)

It was the same scene that plays out anytime significant snowfall threatens Evansville: a mob of folks rushed to the grocery store.

“If you have plenty of hot cocoa and plenty of hot soup, you can just relax and enjoy the snow," Nancy Engelbrecht told the Courier & Press at the time, after buying $150 worth of food. “We even have food ready in case our electricity goes off – peanut butter, crackers, apples, peanuts. We always come out and stock up when this happens. Just in case.”

Vectren was trying to prepare as well. But that wasn’t as easy as grabbing a loaf of bread.

“There’s no de-icer for power lines,” spokeswoman Chase Kelley told the C&P.

Day 1

Buy Photo

Tony Wright, an apprentice lineman for Campbell Electric Inc., of Indian River, Mi., takes care of a downed power line in downtown Evansville on January 29, 2009. Many crews from out of state were on hand to help restore power to the area.(Photo: Molly Bartels / Courier & Press)

Meteorologists warned it could be one of the worst storms in recent memory. And they were right.

By the morning of Jan. 27, various Kentucky utilities said 100,000 people in the Bluegrass State had lost power. Every school on the map closed their doors – including USI and UE.

Evansville was riddled with slide-offs and horrific road conditions – the roof of one family’s rental home buckled under the weight of ice – but the city was luckier when it came to preserving electricity.

The only major outage at the time, Kelley said, was on the Southeast Side.

Day 2

Buy Photo

Icicles form on power lines on the east side of Evansville. Ice and down trees caused power outages for over 70,000 customers all throughout the city.(Photo: ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press)

That changed. Radically.

By the morning of Jan. 28, more than half of the homes and businesses Vectren served were languishing in the dark. Across Southwestern Indiana, more than 70,000 lost power. For Kentucky utilities, the numbers were much higher.

Evansville resident Theresa Harrold told the Courier & Press she woke at 2 a.m. to the sound of transformers bursting all around her.

The lights in her home stayed on, though. And she couldn’t go back to sleep, so she settled in to watch a movie.

She didn’t finish it. Around 7:30, her power zapped out as well.

“We thought we were safe,” she said at the time. “But we weren’t.”

Local and state officials in both Indiana and Kentucky declared states of emergency and begged folks to stay off the roads if they could.

Some had no choice. Freezing in their darkened homes, they set out for shelters.

In Kentucky, some people never made it out. In a letter he’d write to President Barack Obama days later, Gov. Steve Beshear said several people died as a result of the storm. Some choked on carbon monoxide. Others succumbed to hypothermia.

Day 3

Buy Photo

It feels colder than the 28 degrees as Mike Ellis puts the finishing touches on the new sign for Popham Construction late Tuesday afternoon. Popham recently relocated to 4400 Covert Avenue and Ellis, who works for Alvey Signs, installed the sign that has a time and temperature feature.(Photo: Bob Gwaltney / Courier & Press)

“We want to emphasize how serious (this) is,” Vectren CEO Carl Chapman said during a media appearance with Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “We are expecting that outages will continue well into next week.”

Both Weinzapfel and Red Cross officials urged residents to flee dark, cold homes and find a shelter. Bring blankets, pillows and a change of clothes, they said.

According to Weinzapfel, downed limbs blocked portions of major roads in at least 100 locations across the city.

Meanwhile in Illinois, life chugged on. Gov. Rod Blagojevich was hurled out of office on charges he tried to sell President Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.

He denied the charges and begged constituents for a “chance to clear his name.”

Day 4

Buy Photo

Much of the Evansville skyline along the Ohio River waterfront has Alan Braun's fingerprints.(Photo: DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press, Courier & Press)

In came the National Guard.

About 45 soldiers landed in Evansville to help transport residents from their snowbound homes to Red Cross shelters. Anyone who requested a ride was picked up in a giant Humvee.

Utilities continued to work, but 48,000 city residents remained without power as of Jan. 30.

Day 5

Buy Photo

Dwight Watkins chips away at the ice on his wife's car Tuesday morning as he attempts to clean the car off so she could go to the store to get a few more groceries before the storm dumped more ice and snow on the region. It took Watkins over 30 minutes to chip away the ice from all the windows as his wife watched out the house window. " I will probably get it all chipped off and then it will ice again later today and I will be back at it tomorrow," Watckins laughed.(Photo: ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press)

“I answered ‘Civic Center,’ and he just started in talking really, really loud about how he looks down his street and other people have power, but he doesn't,” switchboard operator Tersea Fehr told the C&P on Jan. 31. “There might have been some cuss words in there, too.”

Fehr wasn’t the only one to field angry phone calls. Hordes of irate Tri-Staters called elected officials begging for help.

Weinzapfel got calls, as did Rep. Brad Ellsworth.

Limbs still littered the streets as city and county workers fired up chainsaws and began the cleanup. One mail carrier – who had obviously never been in a warzone – told the C&P it was “like a warzone.”

Hundreds of thousands of Kentucky residents remained in the dark as the death toll climbed to 24.

Day 6

Temperatures hit 50 degrees. Main roads cleared in Evansville, as did the majority of secondary streets.

Thousands were still without power, but utility workers were finally able to labor in more favorable conditions. Their trucks weren’t sliding into ditches anymore. The lights started to come back on.

But a spokeswoman for Kenergy in Kentucky said some of their customers could be powerless for weeks. She turned out to be right.

Buy Photo

Dan Hartz, of Evansville, shovels his driveway after a plow cleared his street on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Hartz planned on working from home and hoped to spend a little time in his hot tub after shoveling. Last night's storm left over 65,000 people without power and left many others struggling to dig out from under the ice and snow.(Photo: Molly Bartels / Courier & Press)

There were other problems.

Evansville residents discovered that, even though the temperature was above freezing, not all the ice was gone. Emergency rooms filled with broken bones.

“They were tired of being stuck inside and saw that it was warming up," Dr. Patrick Fouts told the C&P. "And they decided to venture outside."